Oven



July 26, 1927. 1,636,989

R. EICKWORTH OVEN Filed Aug. 24', 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l fnvenazo/ July 26, 19.27. 1,636,989

R. EICKWORTH OVEN Filed Aug. 24 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 26, l1927.

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UNSTED rastrear ersten.

OVEN'.Y

Application filed August 24, 1921, Serial No. 494,973, and in Germany December 11, 1913.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT F MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. Il., 1313.)

My invention relates to annealing ovens, and in particular to ovens of the kind aforesaid in Which the objects to be annealed are placed in bones, each boi: being supported on a truck and a series of such trucks extending through the oven.

In ovens of this lind as hitherto used, in which the heating gases flow through the oven in a direction opposite to the trucks on vwhich the goods to be annealed are carried and discharged at the discharge end of the oven, the bones in which the goods are contain-ed are not heated uniformly.

lt is an object of my invention to provide means whereby a uniform heating of the boxes and goods is achieved by subdividing the oven chamber into a plurality of chambers arranged in succession. rllhev several chambers are connected by openings which are sufficiently Wide to allenT the ears to pass through. The gases Will successively flow through the several chambers in such a manner that they enter at the bottom of the chambers and are distributed in the chamber, so as to provide uniform heating of the chambers and at the same time a uniform heating` of the boxes on the trucks.

The oven is divided into chambers by means of curtains consisting of pieces of fire clay or other refractory material. Such Curtains are sutticiently tight for the purpose of the present invention and have the advantage that they are not affected by the temperature existing' in the furnace. VBy means of these curtains the area of the passage between tivo chambers can be varied as desired.

In the drawings affixed to this specification and forming part thereof, an oven einbodying my invention is illustrated diagrammatically by Way of example. Tn the drawings Fig. l isv a longitudinal section of the oven.

Figs. 2 and 8 are a partial cross-section and a partial longitudinal section, respecp tively, drawn to a larger scale and showing one of the partitions or curtains and the means for operating same.

Referring to the drawings, pliable curtains r are suspended in the oven a by means of which partitions and chambers may be formed as desired. rfhe curtains consist of pieces s of tire clay arranged on a thread like string of pearls on the strings of a pearl curtain. The curtains are suspended from rollers o by chains and balanced by counterweights z5 on the axle of said rollers. The rollers are arranged in a casing fw. The curtains are lowered through the ceiling of the oven at such a height that the formly heat the trucks g and boxes The shafts of the cylinders e may be connected so as to turn in synchronism. The oven may also be provided with such a curtain at the entrance and exit.

I Wish it to be understood that l do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications 1vill occur to a person skilled in the art.

l claim 1. n an annealing oven a movable partition composed ofa plurality of blocks of refractory material connected to form a flexible curtain and rotary means for Winding` and unWinding such curtain.

2. Tn an annealing oven a movable partition composed of a plurality of blocks of refractory material connected to forni a i'lezru` ible curtain, rotary means for windingand unv'vinding such curtain and counter-Weights arranged to act on said rotary means to compensate the Weight of said curtains.

8. An annealing furnace defining ay tunnel in which the heating gases flow in longitudinal direction and comprising a truck adapted tomove in said tunnel, an annealing boX on said truck and partitions arranged in said tunnel in spaced relation and comprising a plurality of bloclrs of refractory material which are so connected to each other as to permit said blocks to adjust themselves With regard to each other, said partitions being adapted to be raised and lowered With regard to said truck so as to close said tunnel in cooperation With said truck, eX- cepting a passage at the base of the tunnel.

gases uni- 4. An annealing furnace defining 2L tunnel rial in close vicinity and so connected as to in which the heating gases flow in longitnmove independently with regard to each dinal direction and comprising e truck other, and means for raising and lowering l0 adapted to move in said tunnel, an annenlsaid Curtains. ing box on said truck, curtains arranged in In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

said tunnel in spaced relation and comprising a nluralitv of blocks of refractory mate- REGNIER EICKVVORTH. 

